Can the Inflows Into Equities Continue?

This week will bring us a wheelbarrow full of economic numbers that will be matched by a dump truck worth of commentary.

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A very bright, very experienced market pro recently reminded me, "You don't short a bull market." Why, pray tell? Because bad news is good news, good news is great news, and all because of flows, inflows into equities, to be precise. So far, the markets -- the Dow (INDEXDJX:.DJI), S&P (INDEXSP:.INX), and Nasdaq (INDEXNASDAQ:.IXIC) -- have been robotically ticking higher week after week as money coming in has to buy something. Will this last? Only Mom and Pop America know, and they aren't planning on tipping their hand any time soon.

This week will bring us a wheelbarrow full of economic numbers that will be matched by a dump truck worth of commentary. Whether either will have any real impact on the markets is the question. Right now, it's looking like two camps are rooting for a market sell-off -- the bears, what else is new, and the bulls, who need a correction to put money to work at lower prices. That means only one camp wants more and more up, and that's the bulls. If the past few years are prologue, the market will continue to move to hurt the majority and that means more up. Hard to conceive, hard to believe, even a bit hard to write, but hey, we'll see.

The Wall of Worry feels like it wants to drop. But for now, it is holding at 23 because Greece finally dropped its spot, which was filled by Egypt after it declared a state of emergency in the Suez Canal region that was promptly ignored by all involved. A lot of oil and trade runs through those parts. I'm just saying...

Welcome to my at-a-glance guide to the issues facing investors this week -- a unique tool for traders and money managers.

Typically the term "wall of worry" refers to the entire body of concerns influencing stock market action. When the wall is high, meaning the market is nervous, stocks tend to get cheaper.

This wall of worry is even more specific. Every week I list the exact concerns in the marketplace and use the list to help me make buying and selling decisions. As I like to say, "Buy fear, sell cheer."

In other words, once the the wall rises above 15 blocks, start looking for deals. If the worry count sinks below 10, consider selling; prices have likely peaked.

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